


Sol

by MiladyDeWinter (Techno_Queen)



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Author loves to chat in the Comments, Emotional Abuse, Gen, Jack gets hurt, Physical Abuse, The Author Regrets Nothing, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, author is still evil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-02-03 00:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12737361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Techno_Queen/pseuds/MiladyDeWinter
Summary: Ever short-tempered, Bunny was already quietly seething. North shot his companion a warning glance before turning back to Ra. "And how may we help you?"Ra raised a sand-white eyebrow. "...Are all of your friends trustworthy?""I would trust any of them with my life."Ra looked pensive. "Indeed? Well, I suppose you know your companions well...my problem is as follows-"He trailed off suddenly, gaze furious, as if he'd just realized something which he found utterly despicable. A few moments of awkward silence passed, before Ra spoke again. "I...was not aware that you kept such detestable filth as winter spirits around, Nicholas."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW: This story contains depictions of physical/emotional abuse. Read at own risk.

"A pleasure to meet you at last, Ra."

"Likewise, Nicholas." The sun god seemed far from pleased as he made this statement, looking downright bored as he glanced carelessly at the splendor of the Tooth Palace, hazel-amber eyes scornful.

He was a handsome man, handsome in the way that a coral snake often is. He appeared young and vigorous, yet he had a proud, haughty way of carrying himself that betrayed his overly inflated ego, and his eyes shone with a malicious cunning. He was not alone, for on his right shoulder, an amber-feathered hawk was perched dreamily, staring off into space with a stupefied expression on its face.

North cleared his throat nervously. "I have heard you are in need of our help?"

The sun god sighed exasperatedly as he raked his thin, tanned fingers through his golden-brown hair. "Unfortunately, yes. As much as I have no wish to mix with common spirits, you are the only ones that can assist me. A pity, but unavoidable."

Ever short-tempered, Bunny was already quietly seething. North shot his companion a warning glance before turning back to Ra. "And how may we help you?"

Ra raised a sand-white eyebrow. "...Are all of your friends trustworthy?"

"I would trust any of them with my life."

Ra looked pensive. "Indeed? Well, I suppose you know your companions well...my problem is as follows-"

He trailed off suddenly, gaze furious, as if he'd just realized something which he found utterly despicable. A few moments of awkward silence passed, before Ra spoke again. "I...was not aware that you kept such detestable filth as _winter spirits_ around, Nicholas."

Jack bristled, the familiar ring of hatred that so often accompanied those words putting him on the defensive. The other Guardians seemed confused at the sudden tension that filled the air, as both Ra and Jack glared at each other.

North cleared his throat. "Ra, I do not believe you understand. Jack is new Guardian."

Ra's face twisted into a mocking sneer. "Oh? How...quaint."

Everyone, even North, picked up on the biting sarcasm in the sun god's words, and as one they stiffened. They were not ignorant of the fact that winter spirits were not generally well-appreciated in the spirit world, and only an idiot would have failed to pick up on the fact that Ra was such a judgemental personality. The sun god's disdainful glare and deprecating smirk was adequate indication of it.

Bunny was first to speak, voice harsh like wrathful sandpaper. "Got a problem with it?"

Ra blinked mildly. "Not at all, my dear Bunnymund. I simply found it strange that such a... _powerful_ group as the Guardians would recruit a winter spirit. Especially as they're well known for being volatile and uncontrollable, as well as savage. Hardly the most reliable helper, and more prone to being a hindrance rather than a help-"

"Well, Jack's not like that, and until he is, we're keeping him. Now, any other objections, _Yer Highness_?"

"None whatsoever."

Somehow, as Ra leveled a significant look at the unnerved winter spirit, Bunny doubted that.

~=~

Slowly, the six spirits wandered around the Tooth Palace, Ra seemingly oblivious to the brilliance around him as he spoke animatedly to the Guardians while ignoring Jack completely. He talked of trouble in Egypt, stating that the Egyptian gods were dying out due to long periods of lack of belief, yet he seemed strangely unconcerned at the plight of his fellow gods and at the death which would soon await him.

Despite himself, Jack couldn't help but dwell on Ra's earlier words. They were not unfamiliar or original, it was true, for he'd been insulted and degraded dozens of times before, but something about the way Ra had said them made them stick in his mind, refusing to let him think of anything else. Somehow, the scornful glances and the hateful tone nagged at him, not letting go, as if his mind was trying to...warn him?

He was broken out of his train of thought when Tooth buzzed right in front of him, darting about like an excited bumblebee as she shot out words at about a mile a minute. "I think I know of something that can help you, Ra. It's a special gem that's over in Mongolia, I'm not sure where, but I do have a map in the storage that can help." She turned to one of her little fairies. "Adhira, do you think you could-"

"I'll go."

Tooth blinked, startled. "Jack, are you sure? One of my fairies could-"

Jack insisted, eager to get away from Ra for a little while. "Nah, it's fine. I can go. You said it was in the storage, right?"

"Yep! Door Five, Shelf Ten, Compartment Three."

Jack grinned as he jumped into the Wind's embrace. "On it!"

~=~

As he dashed alone into the darkened storage room, Jack couldn't help but feel a little freer. The worrisome thoughts still nagged at him, it was true, but now that he was no longer in Ra's presence they tugged less than before, the warning bells muted. He was being silly, after all, Ra may be an unpleasant and rude fellow, but he wouldn't dare hurt Jack.

Smiling easily, he reached out for Door Five's glided handle.

Suddenly, with overpowering force, an alien clutch seized him from behind, flipped him around, and shoved him back against the wall. He cried out in surprise as he struggled wildly against the iron grip, which pinned him steadily against the colorful wall by his right wrist and left shoulder.

He looked up to see hazel-amber eyes glaring down on him viciously, Ra's height far dwarfing his own. Defensively, he pointed his staff at his attacker as best he could, but with a squawk, the hawk abruptly snapped out of its stupor, taking to the air only to snatch the aged branch out of the winter spirit's grasp and carry it far out of his reach. Fearful, he tried to pull away, but in vain.

Smirking in a distinctly predatory manner, the sun god loomed threateningly over the thrashing frost spirit, delighting in the power he wielded. His smirk grew wider as he drew a wince from his prey, his firm grip on the winter spirit's wrist beginning to literally burn away at the skin, filling the air with the pungent, noxious smell of scorched flesh.

"How _pathetic_. And to think that I was afraid _you_ could actually cause problems. Why, it's a miracle you've even survived so long, if you're so easy to defeat."

Jack glowered up at him as best he could, yet the fear in his gaze betrayed his underlying terror. "Let me go."

"Oh, I'm planning to. Can't have Nicholas worrying about his precious little weapon, can we?" The deity chuckled, even as his hold on Jack tightened, intensifying the pain and the burning smell that were both making Jack's head spin. The agonized spirit felt as if he were suffocating, the smoke and the close proximity of his tormentor both putting his nerve on edge.

Still, through the haze, one word stuck out. "Weapon?"

He cried out as more pressure was placed on his searing wrist, increasing his distress tenfold. By this point, his wrist was charred black as charcoal, the flesh cracked and weeping fluid.

Nonchalantly, the sun king shrugged. "Why, of course. What, is it so surprising? It's not as if you are terribly useful for much else, after all."

Jack opened his mouth to reply, anger churning in his veins, but before he could utter a word, a crystal-clear voice echoed down the hall.

"Jack! Jack, are you there?"

It was Tooth. Relief took the place of Jack's fear as Ra was forced to let him go. It was only short-lived, however, when the Egyptian god towered over him, expression threatening.

"Tell anyone of what has happened here, and you will not be the only one to suffer, Frost."

With no further comment, the king vanished, his hawk disappearing with him. Jack only had time to scramble for his fallen staff and to pull down his sleeve over his injured wrist before Tooth appeared around the corner, purple eyes vaguely concerned.

"Jack, is everything alright? It's just that we can't find Ra and you've been taking a while..."

She trailed off, then, but her meaning was clear. She was worried that Ra had hurt him, his hatred of winter spirits spurring him on to harm the younger spirit.

Briefly, Jack felt tempted to inform her of what had just occurred, but he hesitated. Ra's parting words stopped him, gagging and binding him with the threat of potentially injuring the other Guardians. Had it been only himself who was endangered, he would have freely given away the information, but he could not risk imperilling his companions, no matter the cost. Ra was weakened, but he had been a god long ago, and was still a force to be reckoned with.

_Tell anyone of what has happened here, and you will not be the only one to suffer, Frost._

He shivered, suddenly feeling alone and horribly vulnerable.

"...I'm fine, Tooth."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: This story contains depictions of physical and emotional abuse. Read at your own risk.

Five days later, and it seemed like Ra was there to stay. Ever hospitable, Tooth had offered him a temporary room in the Tooth Palace while they sorted out his difficulties, and he had accepted the offer with a grace that was born of many years of egotism and self-entitlement. After the initial awkwardness, the rest of the Guardians appeared to be getting along exceedingly well with Ra, Tooth especially fascinated by the sun god's pristine sand-white teeth, and Sandy always ready to hear stories about the Egyptian gods. The group was throwing itself headlong into the task of figuring out how to help Ra, each attempting to assist in their own special way.

The only one who wasn't particularly enthusiastic was Jack Frost. He alone saw through the sun god's self-ingratiating act, the burn marks on his arm a painful reminder of just what the god was capable of. His fellow Guardians were playing with fire all too literally for Jack's taste.

He was, however, the only one who realized the great danger that they were all in, and he was sworn to silence. A silence that grew rapidly more difficult to maintain, the more time passed.

If Ra had been bold before, he was insufferable now. Eager to put Jack "in his place" as he put it, the god now took every opportunity to harass the winter spirit. That moment in the storage room was but the first of many, and the longer the sun god stuck around, the more Jack's injuries, both physical and mental, multiplied. The charred wrist was soon accompanied by burns on his arms and chest, ranging from moderate to severe, and at each attack he was warned not to mention it to a single soul, lest payments be demanded in other's blood.

Countless times, he found himself on the brink of spilling the beans, only to stop himself just in time. His heart and soul were urging him on, begging him to _tell, tell, tell,_ but fear and loyalty made a strong barrier that he was unwilling to overcome.

He was stuck in a tight corner with no way out, and it was killing him on the inside.

~=~

The setting was familiar, an out-of-the-way corner of the Tooth Palace, unpopulated by fairies who could act as witnesses to unsavoury events. Where exactly he was, Jack neither knew nor cared, for he was far more occupied with other, more important, matters.

Wincing, he ducked as a thin, fragile-looking hand darted towards him. He was a nanosecond too late, however, the fingers snatching at his collarbone and leaving shiny burns in their wake, branding him as a coward and a liar. A grab for his damaged wrist was quick to follow, long nails burying themselves in his skin and reopening the healing scars, before he was abruptly shoved to the ground.

Instinctively, he scrambled to get back up, scrabbling helplessly at the wall beside him as he hoisted himself back onto his feet. A futile move, considering that he was facing a god who was far more powerful than he would ever be.

Ra smirked as he shoved the smaller spirit back down. "Remarkably persistent, aren't we, boy?"

He glared up at the taller spirit before struggling wordlessly back to his feet, and with a bored sigh, Ra took him by the shoulders and pinned him effortlessly to the wall. A hand slipped under his hoodie, and Jack hissed in pain as the palm burned into the small of his back, searing at his skin.

"You just never learn, do you?" Ra remarked conversationally, as he adjusted his hold. The younger spirit gave an agonized yelp as the sun god's nails dug themselves in his skin, ripping it down to the blood vessels. Headless of the chilled blood now coating his fingers, Ra poured some of his magic into his victim's veins, before dropping the teen like a hot brick and stepping back to watch the effects.

He was not disappointed. Jack was a winter spirit, after all, and to try and force sun magic into his bloodstream could be nothing short of disastrous. Before long, Jack was shaking and trembling pathetically on the tiled ground, as his body reacted violently to the foreign magic.

"It won't kill you, of course. There's not nearly enough to do so. But it should provide an interesting spectacle for a few minutes."

In between convulsions, Jack did his best to scowl at the sun god, but was cut off by an involuntary wince. The alien magic curdled in his blood, setting him aflame and destroying him cell by cell, while seizing his heart in a vice-like grip. Shuddering, he curled into a ball and reminded himself to breathe.

_In, out, in, out, in, out…_

Slowly, far too slowly, the effects began to wear off, tremors gradually fading away and rapid heartbeat reluctantly returning to normal. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ra sneering condescendingly at him, and a small surge of anger clawed at his insides before he forced it back down.

_Don't irritate him...Whatever you do, don't irritate him…_

"Are all winter spirits this pathetic?"

Despite himself, he snapped back, the customary chill of defiance in his quavering voice. "Not as pathetic as you are. Only a coward would kick a downed man."

Ra stared at him, face emotionless, and Jack worried that he might have gone too far…

...A worry that was entirely justified when the Egyptian man leapt for his throat.

A grasp that was as inflexible as steel wrapped itself around his neck, choking him and prompting him to struggle for breath, before it lifted him and threw him at the wall. He collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, crumbling in a pitiable heap to the ground, broken and worthless, ephemeral and crushed.

He didn't dare to get back up until Ra left, the god's footsteps echoing further and further away, leaving him alone and shattered on the rainbow-hued floor.

~=~

He needed to come to a decision.

Jack paced, or rather limped, around his guest room in the Tooth Palace. Due to the current emergency that held their attention, all the Guardians were now stationed temporarily in the palace, each sequestered in their own little room in the magnificent structure.

Jack, however, was oblivious to the brilliance, worry blinding him better than any blindfold could. It was clear he had underestimated the lengths Ra would go to in order to hurt and destroy others, miscalculated just how hateful the god was.

The sun king's actions were not only the result of animosity and prejudice, they were also the product of _madness._

It scared Jack. He'd thought at first that he could simply wait this out, bearing the pain in silence until Ra left, and no one would be the wiser. Now, though, the circumstances had changed, and he was no longer certain if it would be that easy. With a deranged and psychopathic sun god on the loose, incapable of reason, who knew if Jack's silence alone could keep his fellow Guardians safe? Ra could lash out just the same, promises or no promises, deal or no deal. All it would take was one wrong move, one false word, and all hell would break loose.

Would it not better if the Guardians knew of the danger, so they could prepare themselves accordingly?

...On the other hand, would they even believe him? They had to, didn't they?

Didn't they?

~=~

"Lateral incisor on Mayflower Road, Illinois! Premolar on Gosling Avenue, New South Wales, Australia! Hi Jack! Canine on Cassel Lane, Davis, California, and watch out for the heavy rains!"

Jack took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task that came ahead. He directed a mental prayer at whoever may be listening, before turning to the hyperactive fairy, hoping fervently that he was doing the right thing.

"Hey, Tooth. Do you have a moment? I kinda need to talk to you about something..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Thoughts? Anyone? This silence is scaring me...


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey Tooth. Do you have a moment? I kinda need to talk to you about something..."

Despite the nonchalant tone that Jack used, Tooth noted a desperate urgency underlying his voice. Taking only a moment to let one of her more experienced fairies take over for a little while, she turned away from her job to speak to Jack. "Yes?"

If she'd been concerned before, she was far more so now. Although there was nothing she could pin down with any precision, it was obvious that Jack was anxious and stressed, hood shrouding his face in thin, spidery shadows as his fearful gaze darted everywhere, looking for danger. Her worry spiked when she noticed the way he carried himself, as if there were injuries he was trying to account for, and when he remained silent, she darted towards him. "Jack? Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

He seemed to snap out of his little daze, a faint flash of fear traveling across his pale face before his blue eyes turned steely with determination. He edged closer towards her, still holding himself awkwardly, and looked around before lowered his voice to a nervous half-whisper. "There's a...problem. Something I need to warn you about."

That sounded...ominous. A small pool of dread began to build in her chest. "What is it?"

He clearly wasn't entirely sure how to word his statement, a few incoherent stutters leaving him before he fell into silence, trying to find the words he needed. It took a few moments for him to gather himself, but when he was able to speak, his words chilled Tooth to the bone. "There's...someone here you shouldn't trust. Someone dangerous. At least, I think he is."

"Who?"

His mouth snapped shut with a dull clack, and he appeared to be struggling to answer the question. Hastily, Tooth changed the topic. "I understand if you can't tell me, Jack. But at least tell me what makes you think that he is 'dangerous'."

He looked down and away. "...I...have some evidence."

"...Can you show it to me?"

There were a few moments where nothing happened, Tooth waiting as Jack fought to find the courage to give the last bits of information that would reveal all. In the end, he decided that it would be far easier and more effective for him to use actions instead of words, and without a sound, he took a deep breath before pushing up his right sleeve to reveal his injured wrist.

Tooth's heart stopped in her chest as she stared at the blackened and shredded flesh, still encrusted as it was with streaks of dry blood. Her stomach twisted when he spoke again, confirming her worst fears. "There's...more where that one came from."

Biting her lip, she reached out for his wrist, gently cradling it between her fingers as she looked at the wounds from all sides. Suddenly, she spoke, voice stiff with barely stifled rage, the fiery anger of a queen burning in her eyes. "Who did this to you?"

His voice shook. "I can't-"

"No, Jack, you can and you will. Now tell me, who did this to you?"

Her fury mounted when he still hesitated fearfully. The Jack she knew would never have been too terrified to tell the truth. Reluctant yes, and proud certainly, but terrified never. Whoever had done this to him had damaged him more than just physically, and she would gladly travel to all four corners of the world in order to find the bastard who had dared to do this to her Jack.

"Jack," she insisted, when he continued to stall, "Tell me."

His resolve crumbled suddenly, and he tried to pull away, to no avail. "...Nevermind. It's not important-"

"It is important!"

"No, it isn't! Just forget about it, it's no big deal-"

"It is a big deal, Jack, stop trying to deny it! I know it's hard," she added quickly, when he looked like he was about to refuse again, "but we can, and want to, help you, and we can only do that if you tell us what's wrong."

He looked at her apprehensively. "What if you don't believe me?"

"There's no chance of that happening. I know you would never lie about something like this."

He bit his lip, considering. There were a few minutes of tense silence, during which Tooth waited expectantly for his next words.

What she heard, though, was not what she'd been expecting to hear.

"...It was Ra. Ra did this."

~=~

She should have expected this. No one fitted the description, the burns, like Ra did. She should have expected this and accounted for this possibility, yet she was still floored by the glaringly obvious.

Now that the truth had come to light, however, she needed to fix this mess somehow. Had it been a simple summer spirit, a lower-class being, she would already be out the window and in search of blood, but Ra was a god, and those who defied gods, even weakened ones, would suffer consequences. Tooth may have been part-deity, for her mother had been a Sister of Flight, but Ra was a god, and not just any god, but the king of the Egyptian gods. She had only the four other Guardians to call to her aid, while Ra had dozens of powerful deities on his side. To fight him, to rebel against him, would be sheer madness.

As much as it tore at her heartstrings to do so, she couldn't help Jack. Not without harming him, and the other Guardians, more. If she wanted to keep him safe, if she wanted to get him out of this situation with as little damage as possible, she had to not only refuse to help him, but deter him from trying to help himself.

He was still looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to believe him. She did believe him, truly, but she had a job to do, and to accomplish it, she had to lie. _I must be cruel to be kind,_ she told herself firmly, even as her very conscience revolted, even as her motherly instincts demanded that she rip into shreds the very man who had harmed him.

Putting on her best doubtful face, and ignoring the thoughts telling her to do otherwise, she spoke in a disbelieving tone. "Are you sure?"

He stared at her as if he'd just been slapped. "Yes."

 _No don't how could you you know he's right you know it why don't you help him?_ "Really? I doubt Ra would do something like this. Are you certain you're not mistaken?"

He gawked at her in utter betrayal and shock. "Am I certain—of course I'm certain! I was there, I _saw_ him-"

 _Evil hurtful don't deserve to live coward liar can't you see he's hurt_ "Jack, you're obviously confused. I understand that you're stressed out and agitated, we all are, so I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you accuse our guest of something which he isn't capable of doing. Now, why don't you go get some rest, and we'll talk about that burn of yours later, hm?"

He looked like a puppy that had just been kicked, spat upon, and set on fire, all for no clear reason. It was a few seconds before he spoke, voice suddenly rough and bitterly sardonic. "You think I'm crazy, don't you? You think I'm mad? Lost a few marbles? Got touched in the head?"

 _No you don't he's clearly not mad tell him you believe him he needs your help_ "I think you're overly paranoid and eager to accuse others, as well as difficult to reason with. Probably because you haven't been sleeping well, which is why I suggest you go get some sleep."

"...I'm not insane, you know."

"I never said you were, Jack. Now go sleep."

"Tooth-"

"Jack, I have work to do. Go take a nap, we'll discuss this later."

As a finishing touch, she glared at him, and he recoiled slightly before nodding and swiftly flying away.

As she numbly turned back to her job, guilt churning in her chest, she directed a mental prayer at whoever may be listening, hoping fervently that she was doing the right thing.

~=~

"I saw what you tried to do, back there."

Once again, he was cornered like a frightened rat, unable to run away as Ra held him against the wall. The sun god's handsome face was twisted in savage wrath, his grip verging on the agonizingly tight. There was no way out except to bear it, for Ra was hell-bent on teaching him a lesson, and he had no way of escape.

Abruptly, he was slammed into the wall, and he looked up to the sight of a pair of hazel-amber eyes glaring him down.

"I told you, " the sun god said, grinding his teeth in anger, " _I told you not to tell!_ "

He cried out for what seemed to be the hundredth time, as burns were once again painted and traced over his skin, like a shining spider's web of scars. Blood rose to the surface, along with yelps of pain and hopeless sorrow, and no matter how he tried to squirm away, the agony never ended and the tears never stopped.

The familiar cold chill, that he thought had left him when he'd joined the Guardians, now wrapped itself around his heart anew. He was alone again. Just like before, just like he'd always be. He'd been a fool to hope otherwise, an idiot to dream he'd ever have someone who cared about him.

He was Jack Frost, a winter spirit, a nuisance, and a troublemaker.

No one ever, _ever_ cared about Jack Frost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha.
> 
> Ahaha.
> 
> Ahahaha.
> 
> AhahahahahahahahahAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHHA-::goes to bed::
> 
> (...Thoughts?)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...has actually been written for a while...but I've been procrastinating because I don't really like it much. I can't seem to muster the will to fix it, though, so...here. Have it. 
> 
> (tired authoress is tired)

Jack would later be ashamed to admit that the next few days were spent in a sort of dazed self-pity. Tooth's sudden betrayal had shocked him to the point where his determination and reason suddenly went missing in action, leaving behind a hollow shell of depression and despair. He no longer saw a way out, for if Tooth hadn't believed him, who would?

On top of that, his failed attempt had only made his situation worse. Ra was more unbalanced than ever, and Jack was certain that the only thing keeping the sun god from attacking the other Guardians was the fact that Ra still needed their help. As it was, though, the beatings grew worse and more frequent, to the point where the winter spirit was having a hard time hiding the tell-tale marks and bruises.

Not that he needed to, of course. The Guardians clearly didn't give a damn about him, and there was no point to hiding the burns, except to humour his sense of pride. Pride which he had no right to have.

He spent more and more of his time away from the other Guardians, half-saddened and half- disgusted at their betrayal. He was still required to spend most of his time at the Palace, of course, for the issue of how to help Ra was still present, but he refused to spend more time than was absolutely necessary with the other Guardians, instead sequestering himself inside his guest room.

He was in there now, lying limply on the bed, dull blue eyes staring numbly at the ceiling as he once again tried to find a way out of this mess.

He would clearly receive no aid from the Guardians, and yet where else could he get help? He had friends, it was true, but a few trickster spirits were not the best support when dealing with a mad god. No, when dealing with a god, only another god would suffice, and Jack predictably did not know many gods who could help.

Besides, few gods would want to get mixed up in such a matter. The Egyptian gods were an old and powerful lot, held in high regard in the spirit world, and few dared to go up against them. It would be nearly impossible to bring an Egyptian god to justice, let alone the king of the gods-

Justice.

He jackknifed into a sitting position, eyes wide in sudden understanding, and mentally smacked himself for not thinking of it sooner. Why, even Ra himself was not invulnerable to the hand of Justice, and in this case, she would surely be on Jack's side.

The first grin he'd worn in over a week suddenly appeared on his face, giving him a mildly psychotic appearance. Quickly, nearly tripping over himself in his haste, he bounded off the bed and rushed to the wall, grabbing his staff along the way. With a tap of one finger against the colourful tiles, he created a small frost picture of a bird, and with another effort he drew the picture away from the wall, creating a fragile creature that appeared to be made of frost itself. Carefully, he covered it in a thin layer of ice, which glowed a light blue in the sunlight, and, gingerly carrying it, he walked over to the open window before tossing it outside, certain that it knew what to do.

He watched it for a few minutes, until it flew out of sight, before turning back, grin still plastered maniacally on his face.

~=~

In the dense undergrowth of a forest in India, two Egyptian goddesses and one god were waiting.

The god looked impatient, brown eyes filled with vague irritation. The two goddesses, on the other hand, seemed tranquil, one muttering under her breath as she flipped through a folder filled with sheets of papyrus, the other idly stroking the head of a nearby bird as she stared up into the sky, dark blue eyes filled with concern.

At last, the god snapped, rising to his feet with an impatient huff, his abrupt movement startling the bird, which flapped away with a hoarse croak. "I swear, if this is _another_ prank that frosted brat is pulling…"

The second goddess looked away from the sky and glared at him, expression stern. "Geb, I would think you knew better than that. Jack may have a mischievous disposition, but he would never make us worry like this for nothing. The message he sent clearly indicated that this is a very serious matter."

The god, Geb, scoffed. "You give him too much credit, Nut. Remember that time with the snow leopards?"

Nut frowned. "I do not deny that he is a trickster at heart, Geb, but that incident occurred under entirely different circumstances. Give him the benefit of the doubt."

Geb gave a disbelieving snort that was filled with derision. "You are too soft on the child, Nut. Why, even Ma'at here would admit that a trick like this is not beyond Jack Frost."

The folder-wielding goddess looked up, then, sea-green eyes unnervingly cold and distant. "Do not put words into my mouth, Geb, lest you be forced to swallow them. In the interests of justice and fairness, I must admit that I agree with Nut: Frost would not gather us all here and keep us waiting without good reason. He respects the value of our time far too much."

Geb rolled his eyes in faux-exasperation. "Oh, I see how it goes. Two women ganging up on me, how quaint."

Ma'at raised her silver eyebrows, the feathers of her wings ruffling at the challenge. "In the interests of justice and fairness, I protest that remark."

"Seems the scales are skewed then, Ma'at, or is it only I who thinks you may be biased?"

"The scales never lie, Geb."

"Not according to you, they don't."

As the discussion soon spiraled into a heated argument between the two, Nut rubbed her temples irritably, feeling a pounding headache coming on. Honestly, if she had a single grain of sand for every time those two had fought over the millennia, she'd have enough to sink a whole fleet of barges by now.

At last, salvation appeared in the form of a figure soaring through the sky towards them. Half-maniacally, Nut rose and pointed furiously at the approaching figure. "There he is!"

Jack Frost landed smoothly in front of them just as Ma'at and Geb ceased their fight, and, relieved, Nut rushed towards the winter spirit and enveloped him in a motherly hug. "Jack! I was worried about you!"

He stiffened slightly in her embrace, as he so often did, but soon relaxed, gingerly returning the hug. "Hello, Nut. Long time no see, isn't it?"

Despite his casual tone, Nut could sense that something was wrong, for he was half-hunched over, his hood was covering his face, and he winced when she touched him. She drew back, star-encrusted brow furrowed, voice suddenly sharp and business-like. "What happened? Where are you hurt?"

Geb looked up, then, tense and alert, brown eyes examining Jack for injuries. Ma'at also appeared troubled, putting down her folder as she rose from her seat on the ground, a sliver of humanity appearing in her emotionless teal eyes.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "That's...actually why I called you. I need your help with something."

Geb spoke next, determined. "With what? Tell us and we'll do it."

He hesitated, briefly, but the three gazes encouraged him to continue. Sighing, he allowed his hand to drop to his side. "...I need to press charges against Ra."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...it sucks. Ah, well, I tried. (Also, yes, Jack is friends with Nut and Geb. And about the snow leopard incident...no. It was glorious indeed, but shall not be described.)
> 
> For those of you who aren't Egyptian mythology nerds: Nut is the goddess of the sky. Geb is the god of the earth. Ma'at is the goddess of justice, truth, morality, law, balance, harmony, and order.
> 
> Also, as a side note, Nut is Geb's wife (and also sister, but I don't want to get into that too deeply for...obvious reasons). Ma'at is Ra's daughter (and has wings).
> 
> And now I will go whine about how terrible my OCs are. You can join me if you like.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Sparky, here's the deal.
> 
> So, first of all, sorry for keeping y'all hanging for so long. I swear I have an explanation. Here's what's been going on while I was MIA.
> 
> First of all, this chapter (chapter 5) has been ready for a long time. The reasons I didn't post it is because I hate it. A lot. But I finally got my act together and now I'm posting it anyway, and you're not allowed to laugh at me. So there.
> 
> Now, chapter 6 and 7 are done. But...after I finished 5, I had a long period of writer's block with regard to this story. So, there was a long time between the writing of 5 and the writing of 6 and 7. Which leads to complications, since my writing style evolved a lot during that time. I will eventually rewrite the previous chapters to fit my new style, but for now, just know that there will be an abrupt change in writing style when transitioning from 5 to 6. So. Just a heads-up. 
> 
> Now, here is chapter 5, and again, you are not allowed to laugh. This is the last of the bad chapters before we get to my marginally better writing in chapters 6 and onwards.

Geb was first to react, the hot-headed god breaking the silence like a hammer to a landmine as he ordered Jack to explain, voice deep and wrathful. This spurred on Nut as well, who snapped out of her shocked state to demand that Jack tell her what exactly had happened, and _quickly._ Ma'at alone remained silent, one silver eyebrow raised in a silent question as she waited for Jack to elaborate.

It took several minutes before Jack could adequately calm his overprotective friends enough to tell his story from beginning to end, the truthfulness of his statements backed by the marks of injuries that still marred his skin. As his tale unfolded, Geb gradually looked more and more like he was itching to murder someone, while Nut began to mutter curses in her native tongue, blood-lust shining in her dark blue eyes. Ma'at was the only one who remained cool and collected, even as a chilled-steel glint came into her cyan eyes, her silver wings ruffling in anger as the only outward display of her indignation.

When he'd finally finished, Ma'at was first to speak, question direct and to the point. "And so I take it you wish to press charges for abuse, assault, and battery?"

He nodded in affirmation. "Yes."

"I see," the goddess of justice began flipping through her folder. "Of course, you realize that this poses some...complications, at least as far as spirit politics is concerned. Ra holds a very high position of authority, Frost, and to press such serious charges against him is asking for a fight."

The winter spirit nodded tersely as he sat down cross-legged on the ground. "I am aware of this, yes."

Ma'at frowned slightly at the tinge of bitterness in the younger spirit's tone, but otherwise disregarded it. "Due to this difficulty, I would recommend an official Council hearing, as the results of such a hearing will be taken more seriously than those from a private-"

"One moment."

Ma'at frowned slightly at Geb. "Yes?"

The god of the Earth looked dubious. "Do you honestly think it's a good idea for Frosty here to sue Ra?"

"If I didn't, would I suggest it?"

"But think of the consequences! The other gods _adore_ Ra. If they find out Frost is trying to press charges against him, they'll go ballistic! They might even try to kill him!"

"Rest assured, Geb, I have taken such considerations into will not come to harm if I can prevent it."

"And if you can't?"

"You insult me, Geb...Not that that is to be unexpected, of course."

"...Meaning?"

"Meaning that those with large egos and small capabilities often have the urge to pick fights with other, more competent people."

"Why, you little-"

In an effort to dissolve the budding argument, Nut interrupted with a question of her own. "Returning to the point...Even assuming that you can keep him from being killed until the trial, what prevents him from being targeted afterwards?"

"After Ra has been convicted of abuse, assault, and battery, you mean? I doubt Ra's friends would stick around with him then. Such crimes are taken very seriously indeed, Nut."

"...Assuming he _is_ convicted, that is."

Geb's muttered words were barely audible, yet enough to put Jack immediately on the defensive, Tooth's words of a few hours prior foremost on his mind. "Are you calling me a liar?"

"What? No! No, I didn't mean that at all, Jack. But such a story would not be easily believed-"

"Which is of no importance, Geb. The Feather of Truth gives the full, unequivocal truth, regardless of outside opinions or bias."

"I am aware of this, Ma'at, but the Feather is magical, and magic can be corrupted."

"As insane as Ra may possibly be, I doubt even he would attempt to tamper with it. Such a crime is punishable by death, Geb."

"Ah, but whose death? Ra's or Frost's?"

An uneasy silence descended over the clearing, before Ma'at's feathers ruffled angrily. "Such questions are pointless, Geb. No one will tamper with the Feather, you may rest easy on this matter."

The chilly tone to her words conveyed clearly that she considered the discussion to be over. With a huff, Geb turned away, clearly still skeptical of Ma'at's words, while the goddess resumed searching through her folder, rolling her eyes all the while.

Eventually, with a minute flourish, the goddess of justice drew out a piece of papyrus and shoved it into Jack's hands, before also drawing a reed pen and an inkwell from...Jack wasn't entirely sure where. She didn't seem to have a satchel on her person…

He dismissed this as something of low importance, instead picking up the papyrus by one corner and holding it in front of his face, squinting in a vague attempt to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphs scrawled upon it. "And this is…?"

Ma'at handed the pen and the inkwell to him, speaking as she did so. "A form, confirming that you wish to prosecute Ra in a formal hearing. Sign your name on the dotted line, please."

He did so, dipping the pen in the ink before scribbling his name on the form, a half-messy, half-elegant script serving as his signature. As soon as he was finished, Ma'at snatched the papyrus from him and tucked it back in her folder. "Excellent. Your hearing is scheduled for tomorrow at twelve noon. Try to be on time for once, Frost."

He nodded, even as he began to feel uneasy. Somehow, something told him things were going to go very wrong…

He shrugged it off, thanked Nut, Geb, and Ma'at for their time, and took off towards Asia.

He didn't notice when a golden-brown hawk took off from the underbrush shortly after he did, and began to follow him all the way back to the Tooth Palace.

~=~

_"What?!"_

The hawk squawked indignantly as the desk it was using as a perch suddenly burst into yellow-gold flames. Huffing, the bird of prey left its flaming roost, instead opting to land on the back of a chair, from where it began to glare at Ra accusingly.

Its owner began pacing frantically around the room, leaving behind himself charred stains on the tiled floor. The normally arrogant and egoistic god now seemed concerned and almost frightened, his terrified anger growing with every step.

" _...How?!_ Winter spirits are supposed to be _weak!_ Pathetic! How could he even _think_ of doing something like this?"

The hawk shrugged.

"...Anyway, I suppose the hows and whys of it all are unimportant. I need suggestions, Horakhty! What should I do now?"

The hawk shrugged again.

Ra scoffed. "Useless feather-duster."

Frowning, the sun god sat down on the edge of the bed, fingers clutching tightly at his hair as he considered his options. He had no choice but to participate in the hearing, for he knew that an hour before the trial, armed guards would bring him by force to the courtroom, using every means possible to make sure he wouldn't escape. He knew, too, that there was no chance he'd be acquitted, for the Feather of Truth always gave the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth-

The Feather.

The Feather was magic. And magic could _always_ be corrupted.

He stood up, a semi-insane grin appearing with alarming speed on his face. Smirking, the sun god snatched the hawk from its perch on the chair and placed it on his left shoulder. "Time to make a visit, Horakhty, I have a plan!"

The hawk pointed at the still-burning desk with one wing, expression deadpanned.

"...We'll take care of the desk when I get back, Horakhty."

Without a sound, the god vanished alongside his exasperated bird.

~=~

He grinned to himself, a mad gleam in his eyes. He would always be astonished at how little security Ma'at always imposed on the building which contained the Feather, apparently depending on some sort of honor system to protect the object.

Ha. Honor system. Ra _spat_ on honor systems.

He took a moment to admire the feather. It looked as if it had been spun from the thinnest threads of polished silver, so that it shimmered like a candle in the light. He knew for a fact that it was one of Ma'at's own feathers, infused with the sense of truth and justice that flowed through the deity's veins.

It was indeed a beautiful and bewitching sight.

Smirking, the god reached out for the scintillating Feather of Truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh. I hate this chapter. Not only is it filled mostly with OCs, but it's rushed. Argh.
> 
> Although...I have to laugh a little at Horakhty. Poor little bird is like "you need to stop setting things on fire, man".
> 
> (Now I'm reminded of an animated series...)
> 
> Ra: And then I set him on fire.
> 
> Horakhty: Raaaaaaa! That _kills_ people!


	6. Chapter 6

Sandy huffed in frustration from his place in the sky, staring down through the darkness at the bright city that he was currently gifting with dreams. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to focus properly on his job, to endow his creations with his usual spark of originality and light. Several cities ago he'd been forced to forgo personalized dreams entirely, instead spreading his dreamsand in a monotone sheet of featureless sand, his frazzled state preventing him from concentrating and requiring him to trust the dreamsand's recipients to create their own dreams.

It was seldom that such a thing happened. Sandy loved his work, always finding new things about it that fascinated him. Dreams were such an unpredictably captivating phenomenon, after all, and even their creator didn't know quite everything about the blissful fantasies he spread.

There was a very good reason, however, why he couldn't focus on his work, and that was because he was worried. Very worried, as a matter of fact.

This was not as rare an occurrence as you may think. For all his silence, the Sandman was actually a very perceptive being, his position on the sidelines allowing him an excellent outsider's view of the situation, whatever it may be. While his fellow Guardians mostly focused on the surface of a problem, Sandy looked at all the layers, puzzling out a chain of actions and reactions to find out just what was going on. If someone was acting strangely, for example, he didn't just dismiss the issue for as long as it didn't have consequences: he investigated _why_ the person was acting that way, _how_ it could be fixed, so that he could resolve the problem before it became one.

(At times, this trait of his was mildly frustrating, especially when he failed to see eye-to-eye with the other Guardians, but more than once he found this peculiarity of his to be remarkably useful)

As such, while his co-workers were blissfully ignorant of what was going on, he himself remained acutely aware of the anomaly that was Jack's present behavior. Jack was unusually skittish, his normal aura of confidence and calm replaced by a jittery panic that was just barely concealed underneath a mask of certainty and self-assurance. More than once, Sandy had seen him jump at loud noises or flinch when others yelled his name, and while the winter spirit had never been a fan of fire, now he seemed positively _scared_ of it, which was a new and concerning development. Jack was not one to cower in the face of his fears, instead opting to meet them head-on and battle them until he vanquished them, and for him to be so obviously _terrified_ of fire...well, it made Sandy uneasy, to say the least, and the occasional burns he'd noticed littering Jack's face, neck, or arms only served to worry him further.

And Sandy knew precisely whom to blame for Jack's recent and drastic change in behavior.

Ra.

It wasn't a terribly large leap in judgment, to be honest. Jack had been anxious around the sun god from the very start, avoiding him as much as possible, and Ra had made clear early on his utter hatred for Jack Frost and all he stood for. The two were destined to clash in one way or another, and when you added Ra's fiery temper and notoriously cruel methods to the mix, than you were guaranteed to have a disaster of the worst kind on your hands, with Jack coming out of the conflict the loser. Ra had never been a particularly sane or reasonable individual, and centuries without belief had only made his issues worse, his constant fear of losing his throne and status turning into all-out paranoia and obsession. Ra would do anything, absolutely anything, to keep his power and authority in the spirit world, and it was this which made him a very dangerous man.

Unfortunately, while this was agonizingly clear to Sandy, he was having a hard time convincing his fellow Guardians. Bunny and North had both told him not to worry so much, that he probably was imagining it, that Ra would never do something like this. Sandy disagreed, Ra knew no limits where his lust for power was concerned. It was obvious that somehow, the sun god was hurting Jack, why couldn't his friends see that?

If North and Bunny's reactions were irritating, however, than Tooth's was downright infuriating. Sandy had barely managed to get his point across before Tooth had turned indignant, all 'how can you accuse Ra of this' and 'Jack got you on his side somehow, didn't he?' That last comment in particular had troubled him, and yet when he'd tried to pry answers from the fairy, she'd remained stubbornly silent. An interesting and perturbing development, but one which Sandy could not afford to further dwell on at the moment.

It was plain that none of the Guardians would help him, and yet Sandy was unable to help on his own. Powerful as he was, he was no match for a god, even a weakened one, and confronting Ra would only end in tears and would worsen the situation. On the other hand, there was no way in hell that Sandy was going to let Jack suffer, alone and frightened.

It was a conundrum, and one which Sandy wasn't entirely sure he could solve. Yet solve it he must, if he wanted to help Jack, which he dearly wanted to do.

The little man stared down at the city beneath his dreamsand cloud, and sighed silently. He'd been wracking his brains for the past several hours, and was no closer to a solution than he was when he first started. Although he always tried to be hopeful no matter the circumstances, he was starting to think that it would be impossible to find an answer-

A voice whispered urgently at the edge of his subconscious.

While most of the Guardians were unable to hear the Wind, both Sandy and Jack could understand her with perfect clarity. Though they rarely spoke, their distanced relationship nothing like the close friendship that Jack shared with the elusive being, Sandy and Wind were still on excellent terms with one another, and although their conversations were often centuries apart, they were invariably of a cordial nature.

Lately, however, Wind had began to converse more frequently with the Sandman, sharing with him her concerns for her frosty charge. The two had fallen easily into the roles of protectors or sentinels, watching over the intelligent and calculating,yet occasionally reckless winter spirit that they both had the honor of calling their friend, and although the two had come close to suffering heart-attacks multiple times from Jack's more daring escapades, they both knew that they wouldn't trade their camaraderie with him for anything.

That said, tonight Wind seemed unusually anxious, buffeting the Sandman with her air currents, her own way of expressing urgency or panic. Once she had his attention, she was quick to relate everything she had seen, from the abuse Jack had endured, to Ra's attempts at blackmailing him, to Jack's determination to press charges against the sun god, to Ra's own successful corrupting of the Feather of Truth and his plan to turn the tables on Jack. The story was several minutes in the telling, but once she was finished, Sandy immediately ceased spreading dreams and began flying as fast as he could towards Egypt, face set in a determined frown.

The children of the world could survive for a little while without dreams. Preserving Jack's liberty, and possibly life, was far more important a task.

~=~

It was the morning of the trial, and the courtroom was filled to bursting with spirits of all kinds, though mostly Ra's fellow Egyptian Gods.

Ma'at's courtroom was structured very differently from those that you normally saw in action. While some elements remained the same, such as the presence of the judge, orderly, and stenographer, the Feather of Truth made an official jury and the participation of lawyers unnecessary, and the names of 'prosecution' and 'defendant' were more of a formality than anything else. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that this was a public hearing, there would likely only be Ma'at, Ra, and Jack in the courtroom, along with said orderly and stenographer.

Due to it being a public hearing, however, a large number of courtroom observers were present, their role merely consisting of watching the trial without actively contributing. To take a god such as Ra to court was a Big Deal in the spirit world, especially as Ra was no mere god, but the king of the Egyptian Gods, and as such many spirits were highly interested in viewing the proceedings.

Ma'at rose from her seat, addressing the courtroom at large. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of Ra versus Jack Frost. Are both sides ready?"

Ma'at's voice was chilly and bitingly calm, like a freezing cold stream in midwinter. Although she wasn't speaking particularly loudly, her voice effortlessly filled the entire courtroom, with the ease of centuries upon centuries of experience speaking in a crowded room.

Jack was first to speak, rising from his seat behind his desk and inclining his head respectfully towards Ma'at, posture stiff and tense with nerves. "Ready for the prosecution, Your Honor."

Ra spoke next from across the room, voice oily smooth and formal. Although Ma'at was his daughter, familial ties paled in the face of performing justice, and in the Courtroom, the two might have been strangers for all that Ra's relationship to the judge counted towards his defense. "Ready for the defense, Your Honor."

Ma'at nodded, satisfied. "Good. Than we may proceed. The charges are as follows: Ra is accused by the prosecution of having committed assault, battery, and physical abuse against one Jack Frost, thus causing him moderate to severe physical and mental harm."

A chorus of discontented murmurs from the observers made itself heard, and Ma'at waited a moment for the chattering to abate, continuing once silence returned to the room. "This is a clear violation of the Universal Peace Treaty, as well as a blatant display of contempt towards our Code of Honor, which states, among other things, that we cannot use our power as deities to oppress spirits of lower castes. Due to the severity of the charges, if Ra were to be proven guilty, he would be incarcerated for a significant amount of time. If, however, he were to be acquitted, than Jack Frost would be guilty of slander and libel, and would be duly punished."

She gave everyone a moment to absorb this information, before continuing, "Now that I have impressed upon you all the gravity of this case, we may proceed. How does the defendant plea?"

"Not guilty, Your Honor," Ra responded, a hint of a smug smile adorning his face.

Ma'at raised one silver eyebrow, but did not comment. "May the Court Record make special note of the defendant's plea."

Jack, for his part, was both confused and slightly worried. It was obvious to him that Ra would be proven guilty, so why would the sun god bother to dispute the charges, instead of confessing now and receiving a milder punishment as a result?

"Will the orderly please bring out the Scales, as well as the Feather?"

The orderly bowed to Ma'at, before leaving the room. He was gone only a moment, returning soon with a gold set of balance scales in one hand, and the glittering Feather of Truth in the other. Ma'at nodded in approval, before turning to face the court. "As all of you are no doubt aware, the Judging will proceed as follows: the Feather shall be weighed against an item belonging to the prosecutor, preferably one that he is somehow binded to magically, or one that is otherwise infused with his essence or magic. If the item is lighter than or balances out the Feather, than the prosecutor is telling the truth. Otherwise, if it is heavier than the Feather, than he is lying. Will the orderly please bring out the prosecutor's most cherished possession?"

Once again, the orderly left briefly, returning with Jack's staff in his hand. Jack winced at the sight: he'd been forced twelve hours ago to give his staff to Ma'at so she could make sure that there was no magic on it which would interfere with the Feather's, and he dearly wanted it back in his possession. He missed flying and speaking with the Wind.

"Will the orderly please commence the weighing of the item?"

A shiver of apprehension that he couldn't explain suddenly traveled up and down Jack's spine, as the orderly placed the Feather in one pan of the balance, and his staff in the other.

Somehow, he had the feeling that things were about to go terribly, _horribly_ wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

Horakhty was pissed. And worried, and upset, but mostly pissed because honestly, _what the hell had Ra been thinking, dammit?_

Oh, mind you, it was not a crisis of conscience that Horakhty was experiencing. The hawk had nothing against knocking that haughty winter spirit down a few pegs, and the severe burns the teen had received were merely a welcome bonus. The bastard deserved it, thinking that a miserable, low-class creature like him belonged in the ranks of such elites as the Guardians. The pathetic excuse for a winter spirit had been asking for this for a long time, and Horakhty felt no remorse whatsoever for the role that he had played in Jack Frost's comeuppance.

No, what he was currently panicking about was the way that Ra had gone about punishing Jack. The sun god had been cautious at first, making sure not to push Jack too far while also being careful to cover all his traces, and it had worked. Jack had been satisfactorily blackmailed and terrorized, and as long as Ra made sure not to hurt him _too_ much, scare him _too_ badly, the two could be certain that Jack wouldn't snitch.

But of course, Ra couldn't be satisfied with that. No, the moron of a nutcase had to go and downright _brutalize_ Jack, had to convince him that both he and the other Guardians were in danger of their _lives_. Jack might be self-sacrificing to a fault, but he was no idiot, and if he thought that there was a possibility that his friends might be in danger, than there was no doubt he would warn them. Really, it was a miracle that Tooth hadn't believed him.

Now, however, there were bigger fish to fry, namely the court case. Ra thought that the lawsuit fiasco was in the bag and dealt with, a minor inconvenience, but Horakhty wasn't so sure. Yes, Ra had successfully tampered with the Feather and corrupted it, but the whole process had been messy, haphazard, too many loose ends. They hadn't had a chance to _really_ hide the evidence, and there was still one witness to their actions that they hadn't been able to silence yet.

Wind.

The unique friendship between Jack Frost and the Wind was both inexplicable and legendary, as well as a topic of much discussion in the spirit world. No one could seem to explain why the Wind, who was notoriously a stand-offish, brutal, wild entity, would forge such a camaraderie with a mere winter spirit who was neither powerful nor otherwise remarkable, and as a result rumors and stories had run rampant. No matter how sequestered from society the Big Four had been lately, there was no way in hell that they didn't know about Jack's connection with the Wind.

Which led to problems of the 'Wind potentially alerting the Guardians of what was happening' variety. Certainly, Horakhty doubted that the Big Four could communicate properly with the Wind (since the Wind was, well, _wind,_ and probably not much of a talker), but he wasn't _sure_. He wasn't _sure,_ and that annoyed him a great deal. Horakhty had always been a prudent and methodical bird, the voice of reason among the bizarre delusions that his raving lunatic of a master fostered, and nothing bothered him more than uncertainty and apprehension. Spontaneity had never been a habit of his.

The hawk huffed angrily from his perch in a palm tree, and sulked. At least if he'd been allowed into the courtroom to make sure things were going well and Ra wasn't screwing up (again), he would be feeling better and a little less panicky. But no, Ra's sorry excuse for a daughter had to instantly spew hundreds of regulations and rules and he didn't know what else, in order to make sure that the hawk wasn't present for the hearing, and now Horakhty was having a massive freak-out session several miles away from the scene of action. Mother of Aten, what did they expect him to do, break his crazy master out? Why couldn't they let him in the damned justice building, already? Stupid Ma'at, stupid Ra, stupid Frost, stupid Guardians, stupid Ma'at…

...Something was moving.

Suddenly alert, Horakhty stared at the horizon, gazing at cloud of sand that seemed...oddly out of place against the desert sand. While the desert was more of a pale yellow-white, the cloud was bright golden, almost like...the Sandman's dreamsand…

Horakhty's heart sank.

What on Earth was Sandy doing in Egypt at half-past noon?

~=~

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

Jack gazed fixedly at the scales, watching as first one side, than the other, rose and fell in an attempt at stabilization. He was most focused on his staff though, observing it bobbing first up and then down, feeling incredibly nervous as anxiety danced up his spine.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

He couldn't shake the feeling that things were going to take a turn for the worse, no matter how hard he tried. Moreover, the sensation itself was hyping up the nervous factor: Jack had learned long ago to always trust his instincts, this one most of all. Reason was all well and good, in his opinion, but Jack was a savage, untamable spirit, belonging to nature and to the wild, and as such he knew how to rely on instinct, and had a tendency to trust it more than he did logic alone.

And right now, every muscle in his body was screaming at him to _run._

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

It made no sense, really. His instinct had never been wrong before, but why on Earth would he run now, when things were finally going his way? Why leave when Ra was about to get his due punishment?

He was torn between staying and fleeing, and he couldn't shake the sight of Ra's ever-growing smug smile.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

Had Geb been right? Had Ra somehow contaminated the Feather? It would explain both Jack's jitteriness and Ra's barely-suppressed glee, but Ma'at had insisted that such a thing was impossible, unthinkable. Ra wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

...Would he?

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

Down.

Jack blinked in shock. Than he did so again, this time in growing horror.

Down.

Down.

Down.

No. No. No, no, no. Please, no. Anything but this. Anything, anything at all.

Down.

Down.

Down.

The entire courtroom stared in heavy silence at the scales as they settled, showing that the staff was heavier than the Feather of Truth.

~=~

The only conclusion that Horakhty could reasonably draw was that Sandy had found out what was going on, and was here to help Jack.

Because really, why else would the Sandman be flitting towards Ma'at's courtroom in broad daylight, with his trademark I-will-turn-everyone-responsible-for-this-into-a-battering-ram face, instead of doing his usual work of spreading dreams?

...This was bad. Really, really bad, because Sandy was scary as hell and Horakhty didn't want to be turned into a battering ram, thank you very much. Ra he didn't care so much about, but himself? No, not if he could help it. Being thrown against buildings _hurt,_ and was terrible for his plumage.

The best thing to do would be to run like fury, far away from everything. If Horakhty stood up to Sandy here, than chances were that he'd be ripped to shreds, and if he allowed Sandy to halt the trial, than both he and Ra would be beaten to a bloody pulp. Sandy was protective of Jack, though only Aten knew why, and he wouldn't be happy at either the hawk or his master.

On the other hand...Ra. Ra would be pissed if he left. Chances were high that the sun god would leave the lawsuit unscathed, and even if he didn't, he wouldn't be imprisoned forever. Sandy would hurt Horakhty, yes, but Ra would _torture_ him, would _mutilate_ him, would _kill_ him. Sandy would be violent, but Ra would be downright _homicidal,_ and when it was a choice between being roughed up a bit and being slowly and painfully killed...well, it would probably be better for Horakhty if he angered Sandy instead of Ra.

He still felt nervous, though. This was going to hurt a _lot._

Taking a deep breath, the hawk swooped down on the Sandman in a majestic rage of fire and fury. Adrenaline churned through his veins as he shrieked, the sound echoing across the desert, fire trailing behind him as he prepared to obliterate his foe…

...Only to be grabbed at the last second by a sand whip and flung unceremoniously against the ground, kicking up sand as he flailed and squawked pathetically in a mix of surprise and pain.

He was _so_ screwed.

~=~

"Take him away."

The words barely registered to his numb brain, sounding more like a faint hum than the solemn thud of the death sentence they were meant to represent. Dimly, he recognized the feeling of hands placing chains on his wrists, before clutching at his arms and hauling him upright, but he felt too shocked, too dazed to react properly.

It was only when the two guards had led him halfway from his desk to the door that he came to himself, and even then he wasn't fully in control of his words and actions. He was distantly aware of flailing, struggling, screaming and threatening and pleading that he was innocent and there must be some mistake, no, please, _why wasn't anybody listening to him?_

He pulled against the hands dragging him away, fighting in vain to get free, to escape, to run, run, _run._ The guards, however, knew their job well, and they held him tight as they led him out of the courtroom and into a nearby prison.

The next few minutes were a chaotic blur of panic and tears and sobs and screams, as he was none-too-gently escorted to a cell and flung inside, body impacting the ground harshly as his chains rattled. He was barely given the time to recover before being yanked roughly over to the wall and having his chains attached to it. When he tried to scramble away, to do anything that would get him out of this place, the guards were quick to savagely smash his head into the dank, moldy ground with somewhat more force than was strictly necessary, uncaring of the way that the side of his head began to bleed and his pale hair started being stained a dull pink. They had seen hundreds of his ilk, hundreds of base criminals, and they were utterly void of sympathy for him or for his plight.

The blow to the head was disorienting enough that he simply slumped on the ground, half-unconscious as his jailers finished chaining him to the cold stone wall. The creak of the door closing, of the key turning in the lock, was enough, however, to clear his head and send fear rushing through his very soul, and with a despairing cry he flung himself at the door, stretching his bonds to the limit as he clawed at the barrier between him and freedom.

Pain shot through his fingers when he scrabbled at the door, though, and he was shocked to note blood suddenly traveling down his digits. Uncomprehendingly, he stared at the slab of wood in front of him, understanding slowly dawning as his eyes gradually accustomed to the darkness.

Glass. Bits of broken glass were embedded in the wood, along with nails and chunks of sharp metal, specifically to deter him from trying to break the door down. When he had scraped at the offending object, he had cut himself on the glass.

Something broke inside him, then. Somehow, the stress, the anguish, the pain of the past week and especially of the past half-hour, suddenly became too much for him to bear, crushing and bruising him. Betrayal, hatred, pain, sorrow, fear, confusion, all chipped at his resolve and spirit, and the cramped, dark, stifling conditions of his prison was only making things worse by adding a dash of claustrophobia to the mix. Being incarcerated, restrained, locked up...it broke him. It broke him, destroyed him utterly, for no nature spirit should ever be confined, far away from the fresh air and the bright sunlight of the outdoors.

Worst of all, it reminded him. Reminded him of being strapped to tables, tied to chairs, hung by chains from the ceiling as he was used as some kind of sick plaything. It forced him to recall the times when he'd been held prisoner and tortured by others, whether for information on the Winter Court or merely for cruelty's sake, and made him remember knives and whips and swords and brands and scalpels...

It was too much, far too much. This last disappointment was merely the final nail in the coffin of his sanity and self-composure.

For a little while, Jack went insane.

He practically threw himself at the door, grabbing at it, uncaring of the way that the shards of glass slashed his fingers, hands, arms down to the very bone. And when this haphazard bid for freedom inevitably failed, he tossed himself again and again and again at the door, wounds multiplying as blood began to drip from his arms and pool on the ground.

It was several hours, or perhaps days, before he was forced to stop from a combination of blood-loss and sheer exhaustion, practically falling over from fatigue. Despairing, empty, tired, shattered, he crumpled into a defeated, pathetic pile of winter spirit, weak and frightened.

Alone, imprisoned, disheartened, he sobbed without tears, Ra's triumphant smile etched forever in his memory like the mark from a red-hot brand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost feel sorry for doing this to Jack. Almost. Also, did anybody get the movie/book reference I made in this chapter (hint: the door)? Virtual cookie for whoever gets it.
> 
> Anyway, it's been a while (i.e. "Cruel and Unusual") since I've written broken, panicky, flailing, mildly-insane Jack, so I'm not sure how well I did. I'm slightly worried that the last scene is too fast-paced. Blargh.


End file.
